Never allow “ornaments” shaped like pistols to lie about.
People get so used to playing with these that they at once point a real pistol when they can get hold of it.
Even when a pistol has to be fired it only needs to be loaded just before being used, as a rule.
When target shooting, it need only be loaded the moment before getting into position for shooting. If all the shots are not immediately fired from this position it should be at once unloaded.
I saw a most disgraceful neglect of this precaution at a shooting meeting, which if the Range Officer had also seen, the man would have been expelled from all meetings. He was an expert revolver shot too!
Several of us had made very good scores with the revolver at a stationary target.
This man came up carrying a hand bag in which his revolver and cartridges were kept.
“I have a few minutes to spare before my train goes, and I will have another try to beat you”; so saying he took out his revolver and cartridges, handed in his ticket, loaded, and began a score. He made three bad shots, swore, then without taking out his cartridges, he just opened his bag, put the revolver in, shut the bag and went off.
Never touch an automatic pistol until you are expert with a single-shot pistol. I do not mean expert to make good scores, but absolutely safe not to point it at any one, and able to take out the cartridge with safety or to put the pistol at safe or half-cock.
We will suppose you have the single-shot pistol and cartridges, and the target in front of you with a sufficiently large background that it does not matter where your bullet goes if you keep your muzzle always pointed in that direction.